End point scaling on segment routing fabrics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018026874-A1
Application number	US-201615217819-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 22, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for scaling Massively Scalable Data Center (MSDC) networks with a large number of end-point tunnels utilizing Equal-cost multi-path routing (ECMP). The systems and methods can use the NO-OP label operations to maintain single ECMP objects to switch a set of segment routing tunnels that share the same ECMP links. The forwarding engine can determine the use of the NO-OP label operation and update a received packet to enable the use of the single ECMP objects of the set of segment routing tunnels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for end-point scaling on a segment routing network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a node of the segment routing tunnel, a packet and a label; pushing, to the label, a no-op label; determining a best next node of a plurality of nodes along the path of the segment routing tunnel corresponding to the label; and transmitting the packet with the no-op label to the best next node.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the best next node, the packet with the no-op label, wherein the best next node is not configured as a no-op node; ignoring label operations for the packet; determining another best next node of the plurality of nodes along the path of the segment routing tunnel corresponding to the label; and forwarding, without altering the label, the packet to the another best next node.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the best next node, the packet and the label, wherein the best next node is configured as a no-op node; ignoring label operations for altering the label; and transmitting the packet to another best next node along the path of the segment routing tunnel based on the label and the equal cost multipath routing object.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the node utilizes equal cost multipath routing.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the node and best next nodes utilize equal cost multipath routing.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the no-op label operation is configured over an entire massively scalable data center network.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the no-op label operation is distributed by a control plane protocol for each segmented routed tunnel.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the node maintains a single equal cost multipath routing object configured to switch a set of segment routing tunnels that share equal cost multipath routing links in a massively scalable data center network.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the label is unique for the segmented tunnel.

10 . A method for end point scaling on a segment routing network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a node of the segment routing tunnel, a packet and a label; ignoring label operations for altering the label; determining a best next node of a plurality of nodes along the path of the segment routing tunnel corresponding to the label and the equal cost multipath routing object; and transmitting, the packet and the label to a best next node along the path of the segment routing tunnel.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, at the best next node, the packet and the label, wherein the best next node is configured as a no-op node; ignoring label operations for altering the label; and transmitting the packet to another best next node along the path of the segment routing tunnel based on the label and the equal cost multipath routing object.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, at the best next node, the packet with the label, wherein the best next node is not configured as a no-op node; pushing, to the label, a no-op label; determining another best next node of the plurality of nodes along the path of the segment routing tunnel corresponding to the label; and forwarding the packet to the another best next node.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the node and best next nodes utilize equal cost multipath routing.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the node utilizes equal cost multipath routing.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the no-op label operation is configured over an entire massively scalable data center network.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the no-op label operation is distributed by a control plane protocol for each segment routing tunnel.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the node maintains the equal cost multipath routing object is configured to switch a set of segment routing tunnels that share equal cost multipath routing links in a massively scalable data center network.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the label is unique for the segmented routed tunnel.

19 . A method for negotiation a no-op segment routing tunnel, the method comprising: receiving, at a node, a segment ID;
determining a local range; calculating a label; determining the node can perform no-op operations; configuring the node for no-op operations; and transmit the segment ID to next nodes of the node;

20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising:
receiving at a next node, the segment ID;
determining a local range;
calculating a label;
determining the next node cannot perform no-op operations;
configuring the next node for null operations; and
transmit the segment ID to other next nodes of the next node;

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Usman Malick Mohamed
• Ramabadran Srinivasan
• Sivaramu Raghava
• Srinivasan Sriram
• Ananthakrishnan Srini

Classifications

• H04L12/4633

  Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling · CPC title

• H04L45/24 Primary

  Multipath · CPC title

• H04L45/124

  using a combination of metrics · CPC title

• H04L45/50

  using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS] · CPC title